Technical Field of the Disclosure
The instant disclosure relates to gates and gate systems, like for use in the entrance and/or exit of parking garages. More particularly, the instant disclosure relates to a lift gate system for use in the entrance and/or exit of parking garages or like structures.
Description of the Related Art
Gates, like tilt gates, are often installed in the entrances and/or exits of parking garages or other like structures. Lift gates include a flat panel that tilts as they're lifted upwards to rest flat overhead or near the ceiling. The typical lifting system includes an overhead operator with a motor that drives an arm for lifting the gate. Overhead gate openers are generally commercially used in underground parking garages where space is at a premium. They lift the gate overhead very similar to a typical garage door opener. In this instance the gate may weigh much more than a residential garage door, thus, the operator and hardware are built much heavier to accommodate these loads.
As parking garages have various size openings for the entrance and/or exit, gates and the systems they operate on typically need to be custom designed to fit the desired entrance/exit opening with the desired operating features required or desired by the owner. One problem that has been discovered is the time, effort, and training it takes to install current gates and their lift systems. For example, in addition to the time it takes for the pre-work of designing the gate and the lift system and features, a standard install of a tilt gate and lift system with standard operating features by experienced installers can take a weeks worth of time and effort or more to install. As a result, the entrances and exits are either unusable and/or not secured for an undesired lengthy period of time. As one should readily understand, it is clearly desirable to shorten the length of time it takes to install and make the installation of the gates and lifting systems easier.
Another problem that has been discovered is the danger associated with installing current gates and lift systems. The current standard systems have a spring loaded arm assembly to reduce the force required to raise the gate. This spring loaded arm assembly is very difficult to initially install onto the gate, as the gate is often times too heavy to be manually lifted. As such, the spring loaded arm assembly has to be stretched down to reach the gate. This process is very difficult and has been discovered to lead to damage of parts and/or injury to the installers. As such, it is clearly desirable to provide a lift gate system that is easier and safer to install.
Another problem that has been discovered with current lift gate systems is the difficulty in aligning the tracks squarely with the gates. The alignment of the tracks is important for operating the lift gate system properly and/or efficiently. As such, it is clearly desirable to provide a lift gate system that is easier to align the tracks.
Another problem that has been discovered with current lift gate systems is that, to conceal the operator inside the parking garage to prevent tampering and unauthorized access (i.e. the operator must be positioned on the inside of the parking garage), the gate must be lifted out towards the outside to open. This forces the gate to open in the same direction for both the entrance and the exit. As a result, extra clearance must be provided before or after the gate to allow the gate to open and close. Thus, it is desirable to provide a lift gate system that can open the gate in either direction, while still concealing the operator from the outside.
The instant disclosure provides a lift gate system that is designed to address at least certain aspects of the problems discussed above.